Historical note

The provost is the senior academic officer of the Institute. He or she shares responsibility with the president and the academic deans for supervision and leadership of the Institute’s policies, plans, and priorities as they affect all academic programs. The provost, working with the executive vice president, also has responsibility for coordinating the budgeting of the Institute.

The academic offices within the Institute that report directly to the provost include: the deans of the schools; the deans of the interdisciplinary centers, laboratories, and programs; the director of the Libraries; the director of Lincoln Laboratory; and the associate provosts for research, educational policy, and the arts. The provost also coordinates educational and research activities that do not fall under the jurisdiction of any one school, such as interdepartmental collaboration among faculty sponsored jointly by different departments.

The Office of the Provost was created in the spring of 1949. The first provost was Julius Adams Stratton, who continued to have the responsibilities of the Office of Provost when he was later appointed vice president and provost in 1952. During his term as MIT president, Stratton appointed the second provost, Charles Hard Townes, in 1961.

The provost is currently (as of 2010) a member of the following Institute-wide councils: Academic Council, Faculty Council, Administrative Council, and the Council on Educational Technology. The provost is also a member of the Committee on Resource and Space Planning, the Building Committee, the Budget and Finance Steering Committee, and the Enrollment Management Group.

Walter Alter Rosenblith was appointed associate provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1969. In July 1971 he became provost, working with President Jerome Wiesner, and served in that capacity until July 1980. Rosenblith played a central role in the development of health sciences and biomedical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in the Institute’s collaboration with other universities and medical institutions.

Rosenblith’s terms as an associate provost and provost were marked by student-faculty protests and disruption, a slowing in the development of research programs, and funding cuts throughout the Institute. They were also characterized by movement of research and teaching efforts away from military applications towards social and environmental applications. The United States Congress required the Department of Defense to disengage from support of basic research projects not directly related to military purposes, which led to the transfer for support of the National Magnet Laboratory, the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, and the Lincoln Laboratory to the National Science Foundation.

Other significant events of Rosenblith’s terms include the institution of the Concourse Program, an integrative program for freshmen, in the fall of 1971, and the decennial reaccreditation of the Institute by the North East Association of Schools and Colleges in 1979. In preparation for the reaccreditation, Walter Rosenblith organized a self-study of the Institute that followed four themes representing continuing concerns in academic policy: the basic educational requirements of the MIT undergraduate curriculum; the evolution of interdisciplinary forums, emphasizing interdisciplinary and interdepartmental labs, centers, and programs; the role of computers in MIT education; and career paths and career expectations of MIT students and alumni.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The collection consists of the records of Walter Alter Rosenblith while associate provost, 1969-1971, and provost, 1971-1980, though the collection contains a few earlier records pertaining to continuing projects under the supervision of the Office of the Provost. The major portion of the collection, the general administrative files, documents Rosenblith’s activities as provost as well as the academic and political climate of MIT during the 1970s.

During Rosenblith’s time in office, MIT emphasized increased academic collaboration across disciplines and among institutions, particularly in the areas of health sciences, biotechnology, and urban planning. The growth of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program (box 45), MIT’s Cancer Research Center (box 24), and the Harvard-MIT Joint Center for Urban Studies (JCUS) (box 18, 46) are all well documented by this collection. MIT’s urban studies programs are particularly well-represented by correspondence with members of the departments of Architecture and of Urban Studies and Planning (box 2, 14, 15, 23, 24, 35, 36), by minutes of the Urban Coordinating Group (box 16, 40), and by records of the Joint Center for Urban Studies (box 18, 46). Collaborative projects in other areas, such as the Division for Study and Research in Education (box 5, 26) and the Energy Lab (box 6, 20, 27) are also documented by meeting minutes and correspondence.

As senior academic officer of the Institute, Rosenblith participated in the MIT Corporation’s departmental visiting committees. Although the record copies of these committees’ minutes are held by the Corporation itself, this collection contains supplementary materials that document Rosenblith’s involvement with the individual departments and with members of the visiting committees. Along with the departmental and school correspondence files (box 1, 2, 14-16, 19, 20-24, 35-39, 44, 45) the reports of the Corporation visiting committees (box 2-4, 18-24, 35-39) further document changes in academic focus and the new prominence of fields of study such as brain and cognitive sciences and computer sciences. The department and school correspondence files reflect Rosenblith’s involvement in faculty recruitment and appointment, tenure cases, and his close coordination with the heads of departments and deans of the schools.

The collection also documents political and social issues of the 1970s, including the rise of feminism and women’s issues (box 24, 39, 40); minority issues (box 15, 23, 30); and affirmative action (box 39, 47), especially as reflected in hiring recommendations. Student and staff response to the Vietnam War and with MIT’s relationship to the federal government, especially to the Department of Defense and to the armed forces, are evident in discussions about ROTC’s role at MIT (box 6, 28) and the divestment of research funds (box 29). Student activism is documented most directly in Subseries I, Student (box 39, 47) and Subseries G, Faculty (box 14, 39), but is referenced more obliquely in much of the general correspondence.

Other notable aspects of the collection include materials related to MIT’s 1979 reeaccreditation by the North East Association of Schools and Colleges in 1979 (box 19, 44) and to the institution of the Concourse Program, an integrative program for freshmen (box 35). MIT’s Bicentennial Lecture Series (box 40) and Cyril Stanley Smith’s 1979 exhibit on the relationship between the decorative arts and materials science (box 46) are also documented in the collection. Series II, Correspondence, features correspondence with Jay W. Forrester (box 55), linguist Roman Jakobson (box 51), former MIT presidents Howard Wesley Johnson (box 51) and James Rhyne Killian (box 52), and mathematician and Institute professor Norbert Wiener (box 55). The collection also contains a significant amount of correspondence with philanthropist and alumnus Cecil Green (MIT 1924).

Revision Description

2009

Access note

The collection is open for research; however, in accordance with MIT policy, there may be restrictions on access to some of the records.

Intellectual Property Rights

Access to collections in the Institute Archives and Special Collections is not authorization to publish. Separate written application for permission to publish must be made to the Institute Archives. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the creating office.

Subseries G. Faculty

Scope and Contents note

Minutes and correspondence related to faculty meetings. Arranged in reverse chronological order within folders.

Box

Folder

Faculty chairman, concluding speech 1969

14

6

Faculty council 1967-1974

14

9

Faculty council

39

37

Faculty meetings 1967-1969

14

10

Faculty meetings 1969-1974

14

11

Faculty meetings 1979-1980

39

38

Faculty review group for research contracts

14

7

Faculty seniority list

14

8

Faculty, general

39

35

Faculty, housing

39

36

Faculty, women

39

39

Subseries H. Faculty recommendations

Scope and Contents note

Materials separated from Subseries A and G. Arranged in reverse chronological order within folders.

Box

Folder

Aeronautics and Astronautics

56

1

Biology

56

4

Chemical Engineering

56

5

Chemical Engineering 1977

56

6

Chemistry 1971-1973

56

7

Chemistry 1977-1980

56

8

Civil Engineering

56

9

Earth and Planetary Sciences

56

10

Earth and Planetary Sciences, search for department head

56

11

Economics

56

12

Electrical Engineering

56

13

Electrical Engineering 1977

56

14

Foreign Languages and Literatures

56

15

Humanities

56

16

Mathematics

56

17

Mechanical Engineering

56

19

Metallurgy and Materials Science

56

18

Music

56

20

Nutrition and Food Science

56

21

Ocean Engineering

56

22

Philosophy

56

23

Philosophy 1972

56

24

Physics

56

25

Political Science

56

26

Political Science

56

27

Psychology

56

28

Psychology

56

29

Psychology

56

30

School of Architecture and Planning

56

2

School of Architecture and Planning

56

3

Sloan School

56

31

Urban Studies and Planning

56

32

Urban Studies and Planning

56

33

Urban Studies and Planning

56

34

Whitaker College

56

35

Subseries I. Students

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence on student life and activism. Small set of correspondence between Special Assistant to the Provost Louis Menand and students [box 47]. Arranged in reverse chronological order within folders.

Box

Folder

Student assistance services

39

23

Student government

39

33

Student power

39

32

Student records and correspondence 1971-1980

47

28

Student records and correspondence 1971-1980

47

29

Student records and correspondence 1971-1980

47

30

Student records and correspondence 1971-1980

47

31

Student records and correspondence 1971-1980

47

32

Students, Black students

39

30

Students, Dean for Student Affairs

39

20

Students, Dean for Student Affairs, Iran issues 1979-1980

39

22

Students, Financial Aid Office

39

25

Students, Iranian

39

27

Students, Office of Freshman Advising

39

26

Students, report of subcommittee on graduate and professional education

39

29

Students, residence programs

39

24

Students, SACC 1969

39

31

Students, sanctuary 1968

39

34

Subseries J. Alumni

Scope and Contents note

Alumni Association correspondence. Arranged in reverse chronological order within folders.

Series 2. Correspondence

Scope and Contents note

Bulk of series is incoming correspondence. Small set of chronological correspondence logs. Folders arranged alphabetically by correspondent or subject, items in reverse chronological order within each folder.

Box

Folder

Chronological correspondence file, March-December, 1 of 2 1973-

43

8

Chronological correspondence file, March-December, 2 of 2 1973

43

9

Chronological correspondence file, January-December, 1 of 2 1974

43

10

Chronological correspondence file, January-December, 2 of 2 1974

43

11

Chronological correspondence file 1975 July to December

43

12

Chronological correspondence file, 1 of 2 1976 January to December

43

13

Chronological correspondence file, 2 of 2 1976 January to December

43

14

Chronological correspondence file, 1 of 3 1977 January to December

43

15

Chronological correspondence file, 2 of 3 1977 January to December

43

16

Chronological correspondence file, 3 of 3 1977 January to December

43

17

Chronological correspondence file 1978 January to May

43

18

Chronological correspondence file, 1 of 2 1978 January to December

43

19

Chronological correspondence file, 2 of 2 1978 January to December

43

20

Chronological correspondence file, 1 of 2 1979 January to August

43

21

Chronological correspondence file, 2 of 2 1979 January to August

43

22

Austin College

49

8

Awards and prizes

49

9

B, general

49

10

Bakke, Alan

49

11

Baram, Michael S.

49

13

Barlow

49

12

Bekesy, S.V.

49

14

Bernstein, Leonard

49

15

Bethe, Hans A.

49

16

Billiard award

49

17

Boston Desegregation Society

49

18

Brandeis University

49

19

Bremer, Frederic

49

20

Brown, Denise Scott

49

21

Budget actions

49

22

Burchard, John E.

49

23

Burns, Stephen K.

50

1

C, general

50

2

Cabot Corporation

50

3

Caldwell, Sarah

50

4

Campus patrol

50

5

Cantacuzene, Dr. Jean

50

6

Carnegie Institute

50

7

Central Intelligence Agency

50

8

Colombo, Umberto

50

9

Commencement

50

10

Compton lectures

50

11

Cornwell, Anne Cristake

50

12

Correspondence, general 1971-1974

55

14

D, general

50

13

Dartmouth accrediting

50

14

David, Dr. Edward E.

50

15

Deutch, Dr. John M.

50

16

Dow, Peter B.

50

17

E, general

50

18

Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications

50

20

Employees open house

50

19

F, general

50

21

Fine, Dr. Jacob

50

22

Flat rate

50

23

G, general

51

1

Graphic Arts Research foundation

51

2

Green, an International Tribute to Cecil and Ida

51

5

Green, Cecil H. -- Texas Instruments, Inc.

51

4

Gregory Foundation

51

6

Gujarati Machine

51

3

H, general

51

7

Hayes, Fred

51

8

Hewlett Packard

51

9

Higher Education in Israel, Fund for

51

10

Hoica, David

51

11

Hutt, Peter

51

12

I, general

51

13

Ilchman, Warren F.

51

14

Indirect costs

51

15

International Scientific and Technological Cooperation, Committee on

51

16

J, general

51

17

Jakobson, Roman

51

18

Japanese Endowment for International Energy Policy Studies

51

19

Jay Forrester

55

12

Jay Forrester

55

13

Johnson, Howard W.

51

20

Johnson, Howard W., Inauguration Committee

51

21

Johnson, Howard W., speeches

51

22

Jonsson, J. Erik

51

23

Joskow, paul W.

51

24

K, general

52

1

Kelly, I. Austin, III

52

2

Kennedy, Edward

52

3

Kepes, Gyorgy -- see also Center for Advanced Visual Studies

52

4

Killian, James R., Jr.

52

5

Knight, Dr. Douglas M.

52

6

L, general

52

7

Lagow, Richard

52

8

Land, Edwin

52

9

Landau, Ralph

52

10

M, general

52

11

MacLeigh, William

52

12

Mandlebrot, Benoit B.

52

13

Mann, Professor Robert W.

52

14

Massachusetts, University of

52

15

Mayer Lectureship Fund

52

16

Merrill, Edward W.

53

2

Mesarivic, Mihajlo D.

53

3

Mihaljian, Dr. John M.

53

4

MIT

52

17

MIT, data and statistics

53

1

MIT, Education Division

52

19

MIT, open house 1969

52

18

Monsanto -- see also Toxicology

53

5

Moon, Reverend Sun Myung

53

6

Moray, Dr. Neville

53

7

Mueller, Carl

53

8

Mumford, Lewis

53

9

N, general

53

10

Nahvi, Mahmood

53

11

National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC)